Ianto The Scrooge
by SarahhHarkness-Jones
Summary: It's Christmas at the Hub, and Ianto is being a bit of a Scrooge. Who can really blame him when every time he turns his back the Hub is a mess with bits of tinsel. Fortunately, Jack is able to remind him of why he should love Christmas, with prospects of the future, kisses, cuddles and amazing hot chocolate.


**This can be a companion piece to my **_**The Rule of Three**_**, because I wanted to write something Christmasey for it but I hadn't worked out the timelines for that story – because I suck and it's taking me longer to write than I had originally planned out - so I couldn't put it in there, BUT! It can also be a stand-alone one-shot, because there's only the teeniest, tiniest hint of a reference to that story. So you don't have to have read my other story to read this, although if you want to I'm not stopping you.**

**Spoilers: None that I know of  
****Prompt: Christmas! Yay!  
****Copyright: I don't own Torchwood, yadda yadda yadda.**

Ianto closed his eyes, counted to ten, took a deep breath in, and then turned around. He wasn't surprised when he saw berries from the hanging holly now littering his previously nice clean floor. He was even less surprised when to the right if him there were scrunched up mince pie cases. He lifted his head up towards the balcony above him, where Jack was smiling apologetically, before shrugging his shoulders as if to say 'at least I got them near the bin this time' and stalking back into his office to do whatever it was he did in there, Ianto still wasn't sure.

Ianto sighed, bending down to pick up the Captains rubbish. They were no-where near the bin.

Tosh's giggle could be heard from down in the Medical Bay, where Owen was chasing her around with some mistletoe in his hand, and his lips pouted out towards her. She was giggling, and screaming, and laughing, just like you should when it's the last weekend before Christmas. Gwen had Christmas songs playing through the iPod Speakers that she had stolen from Rhys, Ianto wasn't sure who was singing it, but it was a cover of Fairytale of New York. Nothing was better than the original, and Ianto mumbled that to himself grumpily as he threw Jack's rubbish into the black bin bag in his hand, leaving the holly berries on the floor - because he just knew if he picked them up there would be more littering the floor in less than an hour - before he made his way through the Hub to the Kitchenette.

If he was going to get through this day at all, he would need caffeine, and fast.

He didn't need to ask the other team members if they wanted a drink, because it seemed to be that they all just _knew _when Ianto was making coffee, and their orders were being shouted throughout the Hub to Ianto just as he put the kettle on to boil. Each team member asking for a dram of whiskey and some cream in their coffees.

Ianto glared at Jack who was leaning over the balcony to look down at him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Ianto shook his head, causing Jack to pout.

"But Ianto, it's Christmas!" the Captain whined like a small child.

The Welshman turned away from him, refusing to give in to Jack's – _totally not adorable and heart melting _– pout, to finish making the coffees for the rest of his team. Jack got decaffeinated tea, whether it was Christmas or not.

When he handed out the drinks, on a tray that was decorated with tinsel – which hadn't been like that this morning he could have sworn, his Christmas mood was further dampened. Seeing how happy they all were about the upcoming holiday, the excitement and joy in their voices, made Ianto feel like he should also be feeling this way, but he just couldn't. And he knew Jack was concerned about him, but respected Ianto enough not to mention it in front of their friends.

Owen had already called Ianto a Scrooge, many times in fact, but who could really blame Ianto when every time he turned his back the Hub becomes a mess with bits of tinsel which no one else offers to clean up, and Owen had planted a wet sloppy kiss on his lips – much to the amusement of Jack and the girls – when he had accidently stood under some hanging mistletoe. Ianto had even muttered those fateful words, _Bah! Humbug!, _when he stubbed his toe as he checked everywhere for mistletoe popping up above his head. He definitely didn't need a repeat performance from Owen, and he was trying his best not to swear during the Holiday Season, because according to Gwen _Christmas is not a time for vulgar words. _

_**~tw~ **_

When they left the Hub that night, Jack and Ianto left alone to lock up for the week – Jack having given the team the week off to spend with their families, after all it _was _Christmas, and he was sure that even aliens who wanted to take over the world would respect the Christmas season, and want time off too, much to the amusement of Tosh – it was snowing. Completely and utterly white over. There was about a foot of snow covering the ground, and Jack instantly smiled like a kid at Christmas time, which Ianto concluded he was.

They hadn't left the Hub all day, and when they arrived that morning Jack had briefly mentioned that the sky had gone very white for 6am, and that there was a high possibility it could snow.

Fortunately, it was only snowing lightly as they got into the car, and the roads had all been salted, and were completely clear, so the drive home wouldn't be _that _much of a nightmare.

"Let's make snow angels!" Jack grinned at Ianto as he buckled his seatbelt.

"No." Ianto sighed, adjusting the rear view mirror – Jack always set it too high up.

"Snowman?"

"No."

"Snow ball fight?"

"If I said no to the other two, what makes you think I'm going to want to get pelted with snow balls?" Ianto asked, raising an eyebrow at Jack as he turned the heating in the car to full. It was _freezing. _No, not even freezing covered how Ianto was feeling right that moment.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, serious now, his shoulders slumping down and a frown forming, "You've been off all day."

"Nothing, I'm fine." Ianto mumbled, pulling out the car park, focussing his entire attention on the round. He couldn't look at Jack, he didn't like seeing Jack sad, and that was exactly the expression that was upon the Captains face.

"Yan, did I do something wrong?" even Jack's voice was sad, and Ianto hates it, wants to just turn the engine off, stop in the middle of the road and cuddle him.

"Of course you didn't, what makes you think that?" Ianto asked not looking at him.

"You just seem mad. I'm sorry if I've upset you in any way." Jack is looking at Ianto, he can tell without even glancing to the left to look at the Captain, and he's got his sad eyes, his _pleading _eyes, begging Ianto to forgive him for whatever he's done wrong. It's Christmas, Jack doesn't want Ianto to be mad at him.

"Jack, don't apologise when you don't know what you've done wrong."

"So I have done something wrong?" Jack asked wide eyed, racking his brain for some indication of what he had done to Ianto to make him mad at him. Was it the whole coffee thing? He was just joking, he didn't mean it. He knew he couldn't have caffeine and alcohol, he was just trying to liven the mood a little, maybe even make Ianto smile.

"No, Jack. Look, I just- I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, okay? I don't want to talk about it." Ianto sighed, closing his eyes for a second, and gripping the steering wheel tightly. He didn't want to think about it. He definitely didn't want to talk about it with Jack. They weren't at a stage yet in their relationship where Ianto felt he could talk to Jack about his past, and his childhood. He didn't _want _Jack to know. Not yet, anyway.

Jack nodded, despite the fact Ianto was still staring intently at the road ahead of him, watching out for black ice and being extra careful on the slippery roads.

_**~tw~ **_

"It's so cold in here." Ianto shivered as they entered his apartment, going immediately to the heating and turning it up to full, "I think it was probably warmer outside than it is in here." His teeth were beginning to chatter, and his clothes were wet due to the snow that fell down onto them during the walk from the car park.

"Come on," Jack rubbed Ianto's arms from behind him, "Let's just get into bed, you'll warm up faster there. I don't want you getting sick." He gave Ianto a quick kiss on the cheek, before helping him out of his coat and scarf, hanging them up to dry on the back of the door, and removing his own before making his way into the kitchen. "I'll be right in, go get yourself in something warmer." Jack smiled when Ianto looked at him confused.

Ianto nodded in response, and made his way into their bedroom, which fortunately was a little warmer than the rest of the apartment, and quickly changed into some pyjamas and his old University hoodie that he'd almost forgot he had.

Jack returned 5 minutes later – exactly, Ianto had timed him – with a tray in his hands. Ianto was in bed, the duvet pulled right up to his chest, the bottom folded under to keep his toes nice and warm, and the hood of his hoodie was up and over his head. Jack smiled at Ianto widely, Ianto had never looked so absolutely adorable before, and the Captain couldn't help but fall a little bit more in love with him.

He set the tray down on the bedside table, and handed Ianto one of the two mugs of steaming hot chocolate, whipped cream, marshmallows and sprinkles. Ianto smiled widely, accepting the drink and holding it close to his nose, inhaling the sweet scent.

"This smells amazing." Ianto smiled, as Jack took himself out some pyjamas from the drawers to change into.

"Tastes even more amazing." Jack grinned, "Secret recipe a friend of mine once taught me," He told Ianto as he got himself dressed, "You'll have never tasted hot chocolate like that before." Jack nodded to the mug Ianto was practically _hugging _for just that little bit more warmth.

Ianto was taking his first sip when Jack finally climbed into bed and settled himself down next to Ianto, putting his arm around the younger man's shoulder to pull him closer.

"This is amazing," Ianto smiled, "Absolutely amazing. What's in it?"

"Secret."

"We don't have secrets Jack." Ianto glared, but his glare didn't last long, as Jack was chuckling lightly at him and wiping his thumb over Ianto's upper lip where some whipped cream had stuck.

"You can guess what's in it, but I'm not telling you." The Captain smiled, as he grabbed his own mug of hot chocolate and took a long sip. "Hmm, nectar of the Gods."

"You don't plan on eating those in bed, do you?" Ianto asked, pointing to the side plate of mince pies that were still sat upon the tray.

"Does the 'no eating in bed' rule really apply at Christmas?" Jack asked pouting. He had been doing a lot of that lately, and Ianto was not going to have any of it.

"Yes Jack." He stated, like a parent telling off a child.

"Fine then," Jack said extracting himself from around Ianto, "I'll go eat them in the kitchen then, alone."

"No!" Ianto grabbed Jack's arm before he could fully get out of bed, almost spilling both of their hot chocolates all over the cream bed sheets, "You can eat them in bed. Just don't leave me."

The mince pies were eaten in a comfortable silence, with the occasional hum of appreciation at the tastiness of what was being consumed, and Ianto was fully defrosted and cuddled into Jack's chest, stroking his fingers lightly up and down Jack's stomach, the tiniest of smiles on his face. Jack was running his fingers through Ianto's hair, occasionally kissing his forehead. He was happy, and content.

"I don't like Christmas because of my father." He mumbled, and Jack's hand stilled on Ianto's head.

"You don't have to tell me Yan, if you don't want to." Jack whispered, pressing a light kiss onto the younger man's head.

"He never made Christmas fun for us, mum always tried to, but he always went on about his money being wasted on us, and how we didn't deserve anything." Ianto sighed, he knew he should have gotten over his dislike for Christmas years ago when he grew up and his father died, "I guess the idea has just always stuck with me, it's consumed me. Made me, well… a Scrooge as Owen so nicely put it."

"We won't be like that."

"I know, you clearly love Christmas too much." Ianto chuckled lightly to himself, sitting up to fully face Jack, "Thank you."

"For what?" Jack asked, slightly confused.

"For making me hot chocolate, and being there when I needed you, and just for being perfect."

"I'm not perfect." Jack shook his head with a smile as Ianto snuggled himself back into his chest.

"You're perfect for me."

"Just think, next Christmas will be completely different." Jack smiled, resuming running his fingers through Ianto's hair.

"I can't wait." Ianto smiled, giving Jack a quick kiss before closing his eyes and falling asleep on the Captain's chest. Finally peaceful, and happy that it was Christmas.

_**fin**_

**Authors Note: HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Or if you don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Whatever-It-Is-You-Celebrate! **

**This didn't turn out half as good as I had wanted it to, but it's been stuck in my head and on my notes for **_**days **_**and I needed to get it written before Christmas, so I just quickly wrote this in a couple of hours, and I also couldn't think of a title so that was incredibly last minute. Beeeecause clearly on a Friday night I have nothing better to do than sit in my bedroom alone on Tumblr, and write fanfiction. My life actually sucks. **

**Anyway, Happy Holidays! Have a wonderful Christmas **


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